


the most beautiful girl.

by porcelainsimplicity



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-07 18:31:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14087013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/porcelainsimplicity/pseuds/porcelainsimplicity
Summary: Ben had noticed the girl for awhile. Strange hairstyle, accent to die for, always ordered the same drink.





	the most beautiful girl.

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy.

Ben had noticed the girl for a while. Strange hairstyle, accent to die for, always ordered the same drink. It wasn't a surprise when Hux started giving Ben looks every time the girl showed up or pointed out that she always made sure she was sitting on Ben's side of the bar. Then the girl started showing up with another girl, and Ben could tell immediately that this was someone special to her, and the feelings he didn't know he'd had suddenly had taken a hit. The other girl disappeared one night when Ben went over to get their order, and the girl looked up at him with a smile. 

“Santa Fe Sidecar for me, Green Dublin Apple for my friend Rose.”

Ben was ready to tell the girl he already knew their order when what the girl had said hit him. “Friend?” He was suddenly very interested in this piece of information.

The girl looked at him with a scared expression. “I have mentioned she's just my friend before, haven't I?”

“No,” Ben said, grabbing glasses and a few bottles. “I'm Ben.”

The girl smiled back. “Rey.”

The introduction had been almost eleven months in the making, but it was worth it.

*****

Ben had known that Rey's friend was named Rose for a week. Ben had also guessed that the way to Rey's heart was impressing Rose. So when Rey and Rose came in that night and Ben approached them, he knew he wasn't going to make Rose a Green Dublin Apple like always.

“Santa Fe Sidecar for me, Green Dublin Apple for Rose,” Rey said as he smiled at Ben. “And good evening.”

“Good evening,” Ben said, smiling at them. “I will make you a Santa Fe Sidecar, but I want to make something special for Rose.”

Rose gave him a slightly confused. “A special drink for me?”

“I learned it at my first bartending job, and well, it's sort of your namesake.”

“My namesake?”

“It's called the Rose,” Ben said, grinning when Rose smiled prettily. “Dry vermouth, Kirsch, and your choice of strawberry, raspberry, or redcurrant syrup. You'll love it.”

“Then I'll try raspberry,” Rose nodded and Rey grinned at him. 

Ben quickly mixed their drinks and slid them across the bar, smiling when Rose picked up her drink and sipped at it. “Good?”

“Very,” Rose said, glancing over at her left when someone called out her name. “Excuse me.”

Rey watched as she walked away before turning back to Ben. “I think she planned that.”

“Is that so?” Ben asked, laughing. “Does your friend have a history of playing matchmaker?”

“You have no idea,” Rey said, laughing too. “She's never been successful at it, but this time might be different.”

“Different,” Ben said, filing that piece of information away for further use.

“Yeah,” Rey said, smiling at him. “Different.”

“Solo!” Hux yelled, throwing a bar towel at him. “Stop flirting and get back to work!”

"Alright!" Ben yelled back as the towel hit him.

*****

Rey had been into the bar every night for the past two weeks, according to Hux, who had been working during Ben's vacation. “Each time, she looked like a sad puppy when she realized you weren't here, and despite Snoke's attempts at charm and flirtation, she took off pretty quickly.”

“She got her drinks from Snoke?” Ben may have had a complex when it came to Snoke. Mainly about the fact that Snoke was absolutely dripping with money when Ben was barely getting by if nights weren't super busy that week, and well...he had a complex.

“Don't worry, lover boy,” Hux said, grabbing a few of the bottles he knew he'd be using immediately when the rush hour hit and setting them out in front of him. “She's not interested in Snoke. I think she just got her drinks from Snoke because she's still scared of me.”

“She's not scared of you, Hux,” Ben said, and when Hux glared at him, he sighed. “Alright, so maybe she's a little scared of you. But that's only because when I introduced you to her, the first thing you did was threaten to stick a knife in her if she hurt me.”

“Hey, I remember what happened the last time you hooked up with one of your patrons far better than you do, apparently,” Hux said, turning around to lean up against the bar. “Besides, the girl is barely legal enough to be in here. You're easily twice her age.”

“I am not twice her age!”

“Close enough.”

Ben brought a hand up to rub at his eyes. “You're not helping, Hux.”

“I'm just trying to remind you what a disaster the last one was. And the last one was barely legal enough to be in here too.”

Ugh, Ben did not need memories of that. “Is there a point to all this?”

“Just, be careful okay?” Hux said. “That's all I'm saying. I don't like patching you back together.”

Ben glanced down at his end of the bar and saw Rey sitting there, her eyes darting over to Ben every few seconds. "This is not like last time, promise." 

“It better not be,” Hux said as Ben made his way down to where Rey was sitting.

“Good evening, Rey.”

“Do you want to have lunch with me tomorrow?” Rey said as fast as she could. “I know you work nights so I thought lunch might be a better idea than dinner.”

Ben smiled at her. “Can it be a late lunch? I usually sleep till noon.”

Rey nodded, swallowing hard. “Late lunch is fine.”

“Then I guess we're having lunch tomorrow,” Ben said, grabbing a napkin and a pen before setting it in front of Rey. “Write your number down.”

Rey stared at them for a moment before breaking out into a grin. “Lunch.”

“Lunch,” Ben said, grinning back before reaching for a glass. “One Santa Fe Sidecar coming right up.”

*****

“So did you think I would be a really boring lunch date?” Ben asked, causing Rey to look up at him in surprise.

“No! Why do you say that?”

“Because Rose is sitting across the restaurant and she's been staring at us off and on since we walked in.”

Rey started to turn her head in her direction before stopping herself. "I will deal with her later when she thinks that she has gotten away with this charade." 

Ben almost sighed in relief. “I thought she was your out if this didn't go well.”

“She's not,” Rey said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “I knew I wouldn't need an out.”

Ben smiled at her. “Is that so?”

"I don't know if you noticed, but I have been coming into Rose's least favorite bar in town – not because of any of you, but because of a bad date – ever since I figured out that was where you worked," Rey said, looking down at her plate. "I knew you would be worth it." 

Ben paused. “What do you mean since you figured out that was where I worked?”

Rey groaned and put her hands up to her face. “Oh fuck, I wasn't supposed to tell you that.”

“Well, you're damn sure telling me now.” Rey had noticed him before the bar?

“We were on the same train,” Rey said, a deep red blush staining her cheeks. “I couldn't keep my eyes off you. I was supposed to go to work, but I got so caught up staring at you that I missed my stop. After that, I said the hell with it and followed you until I saw you go into the bar. I went in a few hours later, saw you behind the bar, and well, I've been there every night I could be since.”

That was...wow. “Rey, I don't know what to say.”

“I'm a crazy stalker, blah, blah, blah. You never want to see me again, blah, blah, blah. I knew this would happen if I told you. That's why I wasn't going to tell you.”

“No, no, no, no.” Ben was definitely not going to say that. “I, um, wow. I, I'm flattered, I guess?”

Rey looked up at him, surprised again. “Flattered?”

"I don't know too many people who would see someone on a train, make a decision like you did, and actually go through with it," Ben said seriously. "And I could be creeped out, but I wouldn't have met you if you hadn't, and well, I've kind of enjoyed you coming into my bar every night, as you probably could tell. Otherwise, we would not be having lunch right now." 

“So you are not going to ask me to never see you again?”

Ben felt a grin spread when he saw the hope in Rey's eyes. “I was actually going to suggest breakfast tomorrow before I go to sleep.”

Rey stared at Ben for a moment before grinning back. “Breakfast sounds wonderful.”

*****

Ben smiled at Rey as they found a place to stand on the train. The car was pretty full, and as soon as it started to move, Rey was jolted back against Ben. Rey looked horrified as she tried to pull away, but Ben just slid his arms around her waist and held her there. Rey's horrified look switched to confused and then to amused in the blink of an eye, but Ben caught it.

“You know, if you wanted to touch me that badly, you could have just said so,” Rey said through a grin.

Ben just rolled his eyes and pulled Rey closer. “You complaining about it?”

“No,” Rey said, bringing her arms up to curl around Ben's neck. “What are you going to do about it?”

They'd been dancing around this for a couple of weeks. They'd either been interrupted by Hux or Rose, or too shy to do it in public, and neither one of them was exactly comfortable bringing the other home yet. So here on the train, on its way towards the bar, wasn't exactly the best choice, but it was what they had.

Ben leaned forward and brushed his lips against Rey's, smiling when he heard the soft moan. He tried to pull away but Rey just pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. They stayed that way until a man behind Ben came crashing into them, forcing them to break the kiss.

Rey glared at the man while Ben buried his head in her neck, silently laughing. The train slowed to their stop moments later, and Ben and Rey walked off holding hands.

“Rey?”

“What?”

"Do, um, do you..." Ben smiled. “Do you want to go home with me tonight?”

Rey took a second then smiled wide. “Sounds great.”

*****

There was someone moving around in Ben's apartment.

There was someone moving around in Ben's apartment.

Ben sat up in bed, ran his hands over his eyes, and tried to think. His head felt like it was full of cotton wool, which meant he'd been drinking last night instead of serving up the drinks, and there was someone moving around in...

“Morning Ben!”

Rey.

Ben immediately fell back to the bed and groaned. Oh God, it wasn't supposed to have gone like this. This meant something. This...that was supposed to have meant something, and now he'd gotten drunk – where had he gotten drunk? – and he'd ruined the whole thing.

He wouldn't be surprised if Rey never wanted to see him again. He never wanted to see himself again.

Rey's head poked through the curtain that served as a door to Ben's bedroom, and she had a wide smile on her face. “Good morning.”

Ben felt like groaning again. “Uh huh.”

“I told you that you were drinking too much,” Rey said, her voice entirely too chipper. “I already called Hux. He said that he'd have Snoke come in tonight.”

“Tonight?” Ben's eyes widened and he threw back the bedsheets and sat up, only to stop himself when he realized he was wearing pajamas.

“Pajamas?”

“You're hard to undress when you're so drunk you can't cooperate,” Rey said, walking into the room and sitting down on the bed. "I thought you'd be more comfortable in the pajamas than not, and then I crashed on your couch.”

“The couch. You crashed on the couch.” Ben wanted to smack himself for sounding so stupid, but he knew that was the hangover talking.

“Do you remember anything about last night?” Rey sounded very amused.

Ben sighed. “No.” Rey laughed, and Ben reached over to push at her. “No laughing.”

“Alright, I'll stop, but Hux said to tell you he'll be laughing his ass off at you tomorrow at work, old man.”

Ben ran his hands through his hair and looked over at Rey. “What happened last night?”

“Rose threw that party? I was ordered to bring you and you only went along for my benefit? Then you realized you were in a room full of sorority girls, which you said were 'the worst kind of girls imaginable at the bar.'”

“They are,” Ben grumbled.

“Anyway, you drank too much, I got us out of there and back here, you practically passed out the moment you hit the bed, I didn't think you'd want to sleep in a leather jacket and trainers, so thus the pajamas.”

“And you crashed on the couch?”

“I didn't really know if we were ready for the whole sleeping in the same bed thing, and well, I didn't want to force it on you while you were drunk. If I knew you were okay with it, then I would have slept in the bed.” Rey glanced away from Ben as she said that last sentence.

Ben reached out and grabbed Rey by the hand, pulling her down to the bed with him. “Thank you. But never sleep on the couch again.”

Rey grinned and reached out to pull Ben into a kiss. “Is that so?”

Ben laughed. “It is.”

“I know what you were probably thinking when you woke up,” Rey said, “and let me tell you, you are very, very convincing when you're drunk. ”

Ben groaned. “Oh God, I can only imagine. I've propositioned Hux when I've been drunk before. Hux.”

Rey laughed. “Do it again and I won't be able to say no.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

*****

Rey came into the bar around eight, just like usual. She took up a seat at Ben's end of the bar, just like usual. When Ben approached her, Rey asked for a Santa Fe Sidecar, just like usual.

But everything was not like usual.

Ben didn't know what to say to Rey. Rey didn't know what to say to Ben. So they just looked at each other, Rey sipping at her drink, Ben rubbing down the bar until Hux walked over. 

“You two are idiots,” he said before slapping Ben on the back of the head and heading down to his end of the bar.

Ben knew he was right. He was pretty sure Rey knew he was right too. But that didn't make talking about it any easier.

In the end, it was Rey who broke first. “You didn't tell him?"

"No, I didn't."

"I'm sorry.”

Ben just shook his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm the one who's sorry.”

“I should have told you.”

“I should have asked.”

They fell into silence again as a few people approached the bar. Once their drinks were made, Ben reached for the towel to rub down the bar again, but Rey reached out, claiming his hand with her own.

“I want to, Ben,” Rey said seriously. “I'm ready to. I just thought you should know before we did it.”

Ben took a deep breath. “I've never taken someone's virginity before,” he said as softly as he could. “That's a lot of pressure.”

“No pressure,” Rey murmured. “It'll be totally imperfect and utterly terrifying but that's exactly the way it should be. Then I will realize how much I love it, and it will all get easier from there.”

Ben took another deep breath. “So basically you're saying that if I do a terrible job, you'll give me a chance to do it better?”

“Of course I will,” Rey said, “I love you. Shit, I shouldn't have said that.”

“No,” Ben said, shaking his head. “You should have. That's how you feel.”

“And how do you feel?” Rey asked softly, avoiding Ben's gaze.

Ben just laughed. “Rey, I think I've been in love with you since the moment I heard your voice.”

“Is that so?” Rey asked, laughing. “I'm pretty sure I've been in love with you since the train.”

Ben nodded and swallowed hard. “So, um, so you have work tomorrow?”

"I don't work on Fridays," Rey said, shaking her head. "Or on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays either. Apparently, I am not capable of doing my job. Which is ridiculous because that is what I went to school for." 

Ben reached out and squeezed Rey's hand. “You'll get another job.”

"I hope so because I need to pay my rent," Rey said. "But yes, I don't work tomorrow." 

“Then tomorrow?” Ben asked, his voice shaky. “For, you know?”

Rey nodded. “Tomorrow is good.”

“Good,” Ben said. “This is good. Very good. Amazingly good.”

Rey laughed. “Ben, you are saying the word good a lot.”

“Because it is. This is good,” Ben said, smiling at her. “No pressure?”

“No pressure.” Rey picked up her drink and downed the rest of it. “Make me another?”

“Sure,” Ben said. “Are we doing this at my place or yours?”

“Yours,” Rey said. “I am too afraid of Rose walking in on the middle of it if we did it at mine.”

Ben groaned. “I did not need that visual, thank you.”

“Solo! I need a bottle of whiskey!” Hux yelled. “And get back to work!”

*****

Ben rolled off of Rey and collapsed onto the bed, trying to catch his breath. Rey was breathing so hard next to him that Ben would've sworn she'd just run around the room in circles ten million times, but Ben remembered what his first time had been like, so he suspected it was more nerves burning off than anything else.

Other than their rapid breathing, the room was silent.

Then their breathing slowed, and it was still silent.

Rey had said no pressure, but right then, it felt like a ton of pressure to Ben. Like the sort of pressure that makes you think there's an elephant sitting on your chest. He just wanted Rey to say something, even if it was that Ben had absolutely, completely, and totally fucked up her first time. Which was entirely possible.

It stayed silent. Ben swore three days had passed, and then finally.

“Um.”

Um? All Rey had to say was um? Ben brought his hands up to cover his face. “I'm so sorry. I'm terrible at this.”

Rey turned her head to look at Ben and reached an arm out to pull away one of Ben's hands. “If that was terrible, then when you do it right is certainly going to kill me.”

“Excuse me?”

“That might have been – no, definitely was – the single best experience of my life,” Rey said. “I waited for a reason, Ben. It's not that I couldn't have been having sex – I could have had a lot of sex already – but I wanted it to be right. And it was perfectly imperfect and everything I ever thought it should be. So thank you.”

“So you liked it?” Ben asked, confused.

Rey laughed. “Why don't you come over here and I'll show you just how much I liked it?”

*****

“So is Hux your BFF?” Rose asked Ben casually one night, as though she hadn't just substituted three letters for three words.

“My what?” he asked as he slid a glass across the bar. “And where is Rey?”

Rose just rolled her eyes. “BFF. Best friends forever. And she's out picking up her BFF so she can bring him here to meet you. So is Hux that person for you or not?”

Ben just stared at her until Rose turned towards the other end of the bar. “Hux!”

“What, Rose?” Hux yelled back.

“I'm trying to figure out if you're his BFF and he's clueless.”

Rose laughed when Hux rolled his eyes. “Ask him who picks out all the clothes he buys!”

Ben went to object to that until he realized Hux actually did that, so he didn't. Instead, he picked up a rag and started wiping down the bar. "Fine, he's my whatever it is you're saying." 

“Good, then it is now my mission to make sure that Poe and Hux have each other's numbers for when Rey inevitably screws this up,” Rose said, just as Rey and a man in glasses appeared next to her. “Speak of the devil.”

“Shut up, Rose,” Rey said quickly. “Ben, this is Poe. Poe, this is Ben.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ben said. “Hang on a second.”

He moved over to deal with some approaching customers and then walked back to find that Rose and Rey had wandered off, and he was face to face with Poe. "Can I make you a drink?" 

"Not until I make sure that you realize that if you hurt her, I will come back to this place, lure you out back, tase you, and then cut off your balls," Poe said, smiling as though the words he'd just said were sunshine and rainbows. "Clear?" 

“Clear,” Ben said. “I now know better than to piss you off.”

“You know better than to hurt her.”

“I already knew that.”

“Then we're good.” Poe looked at the bottles along the back wall for a moment before sighing. “Ah, just give me a bottle of tequila, some limes, and point me towards Rose's table. I'm making her have actual fun tonight.”

Ben grabbed the bottle, put some lime wedges in a dish, and pointed towards the other end of the bar. “I believe she's in the corner over there. That's where she usually sits.”

“Thanks!” Poe grabbed the stuff and walked away, and after a moment, Rey came back.

“Was that totally awkward?”

"No, very enlightening. I've never been threatened to be tased before."

Rey groaned and put his forehead on the bar. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

“Hey, no,” Ben said, reaching out to ruffle up Rey's hair. “He's important to you. He's someone I needed to meet.”

Rey looked up at him and smiled. “Well, now you've met Poe. Next is the parents.” Ben decided he must have looked terrified because Rey burst out laughing. “No, don't worry. No parents to meet.”

“What do you mean?”

“They died when I was a kid,” Rey said. “I probably should have told you that by now, shouldn't I? I mean, we're practically living together.”

“Practically living together?” came Hux's voice. “You've been holding out on me, Solo.”

Ben turned towards Hux and shook his head. “I told you, you're getting no more out of me about him until you start spilling about Phasma.”

“There is no Phasma.”

“Sure there's not. That's why she's sitting over there watching you work.”

Hux glared at him. “You're not changing the subject, Solo.”

Ben looked over at Rey before turning back to Hux. “Fine, we're practically living together.”

Hux looked over at Rey and grinned. “You're getting him to settle down. I'm impressed, kid.” His grin turned into a glare. “Don't fuck it up or I'll kill you.”

“Yes sir,” Rey said as Hux turned back to his end of the bar. “So we've both been threatened now.”

“Must mean we're doing something right,” Ben said, smiling. “Santa Fe Sidecar, coming right up.”

*****

“So are you going to ask her tonight?” Hux asked, and Ben groaned.

“I never should have told you about this.”

“No, you totally should have, because you obviously need encouragement,” Hux said, leaning up against the bar next to Ben. “Look, I know I wasn't on board with this relationship when it started, but she's been good for you, Solo. I never thought after...after _her_ that you would ever find someone again. Your string of hideously wrong for you relationships proved that. But then that girl came in here, and well, you're a changed man, Ben.”

Ben looked over at Hux and smiled. “Thank you for not saying her name.”

“You're welcome.”

“I know that asking her this is the right thing to do. But that doesn't make it any less scary.”

Hux nudged Ben with his shoulder. “Solo, the only way you're ever going to get to where you want to be is to face the fear. Besides, you already know her answer.”

Ben nodded and glanced down at his end of the bar, seeing Rey sitting there chatting to Poe, who must be there to get drinks for him and Rose. “Alright, I've got to get to work.”

“Ask her!” Hux called out as Ben walked down to his end of the bar.

Ben greeted Poe cordially and grinned at Rey before grabbing three glasses and started mixing drinks. When he was done, he pushed them out and waited until Poe had walked away before taking a deep breath.

“Will you move in with me?” Ben forced himself to take another breath. “I mean, you're there all the time and I just thought...”

Rey reached across the bar, snagged Ben by the shirt, and pulled him into a kiss. “I thought you'd never ask."

*****

Rey was sitting at the bar with a newspaper, circling ads for apartments that she thought Ben would like. It had taken them two days to decide that they both had entirely too much stuff to live in Ben's apartment, and Ben suggested finding a bigger apartment. Rey may have pulled him to the floor and had her way with him after that.

Ben finished making a drink then approached Rey, peering over the newspaper to see a lot of red circles. “How many apartments are we going to look at?”

“As many as it takes,” Rey said, looking up at Ben. “This is going to be our home, Ben. It's not something to take lightly.”

Ben knew what that meant without Rey explaining it. Rey had told Ben about her adventures in the foster care system. It meant a lot to Rey to have a place she could call her own, and for her to share that space with Ben made it extra special.

“Are you going to do all the calling and setting up of appointments?”

Rey nodded. “Yes. It's not like I have anything else to do.”

Rey was currently living off of her savings account since she hadn't found a new job. Ben was worried about it, but he knew a different page of the classifieds had a bunch of want ads circled, so he stayed out of it.

“You'll get a job soon enough,” Ben said, reaching out to caress Rey's cheek.

Rey sighed. “They said a business degree meant I'd have unlimited opportunities. Fuck them.”

“Rey, do not say such words in public,” Rose admonished as she approached the bar with Poe. “Ben, may we please have a bottle of whiskey?”

"What kind?" Ben asked, knowing there were at least twelve different kinds of whiskey on the wall behind him.

“Laphroaig,” Poe said.

Ben nodded and turned around, grabbing the bottle and handing it to Poe. “You two are going to end up roaring drunk, you know that, right?”

“It is okay, Ben,” Rose said. “We will be just fine.”

“Promise me neither of you are driving home.”

Rose smiled. “Of course not.”

“Then enjoy,” Ben said, watching as they walked off. “So, let me go deal with these customers, and then you can tell me about the neighborhoods you're looking in. Sound good?”

Rey just grinned and went back to circling ads.

*****

Ben laid back against the bedsheets and Rey slowly shifted closer, resting her head on Ben's shoulder. They were still getting used to the new apartment, and Rey was still getting adjusted to her new hours. She'd found a job working the night shift in a hospital's billing department, and while it meant that she couldn't spend nights at the bar with Ben anymore, she'd happily taken it knowing she could spend all day with him. They both had learned to be accustomed to very little sleep over the past several months, and this change in their routine really hadn't affected them that much.

Ben kissed Rey's forehead, and Rey slung an arm across Ben's waist. It may have been six am, but it was bedtime for them. Ben pulled her closer as Rey dropped a loving kiss on Ben's skin.

Ben was happy. He was happier than he'd ever been in his life. Hux could tease him all he wanted about their age difference and his past dalliances with bar patrons, but Ben knew this was different. Ben knew this was forever, so long as Rey would have him. He'd never thought about getting married someday, but if Rey wanted that, then someday they would do it. Not any time soon, though. They weren't ready for that yet.

As he let his eyes close to get some sleep, he felt Rey drop a kiss onto his skin. He just pulled her closer and smiled.

Yeah, he was happy.


End file.
